“Now,” said he, “there are many other prayers which begin with a round O, as the letter is called; so I must first ascertain if this one is the one I require. If it is, I know it by heart, and by that shall be able to teach you all the letters of the alphabet.”
“What’s an alphabet?”
“The alphabet is the number of letters invented to enable us to read and write. There are twenty-six of them. Now look, Frank; is the next letter to O the shape of this?” and he drew with the pointed stick the letter U on the ground.
“Yes, it is,” replied I.
“And the next is like this,” continued he, drawing the letter R, after he had smoothed the ground and effaced the U.
“Yes,” replied I.
“Well then, to make sure, I had better go on, OUR is one word, and then there is a little space between; and next you come to an F.”
“Yes,” replied I, looking at what he had drawn, and comparing it with the letter in the book.
“Then I believe that we are all right, but to make sure, we will go on for a little longer.”
Jackson then completed the word “Father,” and “which art,” that followed it, and then he was satisfied.